1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel additive formed of a plurality of individual components having individual and a combined synergistic effect with hydrocarbon fuel commonly employed in internal combustion engines. Mixed with the fuel employed by an engine, the fuel and additive mixture results in an increase in available horsepower, improved torque, and reduced fuel consumption, all while concurrently causing a reduction in pollutants in the exhaust from the burned fuel.
2. Prior Art
The industrialized world has, in the last century, evolved to employ the internal combustion engine in a wide variety of circumstances, to produce power to provide the mechanical energy to do work. While the employment of internal combustion engines has significantly increased industrial output, eased the workload of millions of workers, and provided a means to replace stock animals and bulky steam engines and the like, with a dependable and moveable power source, it is not without detriment.
Internal combustion engines run, for the most part, on liquid fuels such as gasoline and diesel fuel which are primarily derived by the refinement of crude oil. The burning of such fossil fuels, and in particular crude oil derived vehicle fuels such as gasoline and diesel, provide an easily transportable reservoir of energy for a mobile engine.
However, the burning of fuel in such engines is never completely efficient. As a consequence of such inefficient combustion range, engines employing conventional gas and diesel fuel suffer from excess fuel consumption, engine knock, and carbon build up on valves, cylinder heads and pistons. Additionally, depending on the fuel and any government mandated mixtures, there can be wide variations in engine efficiency. Further, engines burning such fuels have exhaust which contribute pollutants and greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere such as NOx (oxides of Nitrogen), unburnt He (hydrocarbons), CO (Carbon Monoxide), NO2 (nitrogen dioxide), NO (nitric oxide) and with diesel fuel there can be significant diesel particulate matter.
Much of these problems with conventional fuels can be attributed to inconsistent burning of the fuel in the cylinders as well as the effects of prior years of burning such fuels and the aforementioned engine deposits and wear therefrom.
In recent decades, many various fuel additives have been proposed and provided in attempts to improve fuel economy and reduce combustion exhaust pollutants. Such additives, however, must concurrently address the issues of unburnt fuel in the exhaust as well as partially burnt fuel, both of which impart pollution to the atmosphere.
Much prior art has taught and suggested adding various combustion enhancers for the various types of internal combustion engine fuels. There is a wide variance on the enhancements claimed and taught by such prior art additives which are provided in diverse forms but most are taught as being in either a liquid state mixed with liquid carriers and some are taught in a solid state to be mixed with fuels as directed.
Problems with both fuel combustion and lubricity have developed in recent years, especially since fuels have been refined to remove ever higher percentages of sulfur. The extra cracking process at refineries to do so tends to leave fuels dry or lacking in sufficient lubricity. This can have drastic effects upon vehicles running such fuels be they gas powered engines or diesel.
Diesel engines are particularly effected by excess refinement and removal of sulfur from fuels. The increased friction and wear over time can damage pistons, cylinders, fuel injectors, fuel pumps, and other very expensive components. This results in excess repairs and vehicle downtime in vehicles with diesel engines which have previously been known for longevity and reliability.
Gasoline fuels are also becoming subject to such restrictions on sulfur content, in more recent government efforts to curb exhaust pollution. A major issue is the effect of sulfur upon expensive exhaust catalytic converters and their life span and performance. The lubricity requirements of gasoline are generally lower than for diesel engines because gasoline fuel injection systems inject fuel to the cylinders at much lower pressures than diesel engines. But just as with diesel engines, failed pumps, hoses, and injectors, are expensive to repair. With ever more stringent government requirements, this can only get worse.
As such, there is a continuing and unmet need for an additive for fuel which will remedy the downside of modern fuels on gasoline and diesel engines. Such an additive in addition to providing improvements in burning of fuels during combustion, should also provide improvements to the lubricity of such fuels to minimize or eliminate the wear and tear caused by over refined fuels currently employed. Further, such an additive should be reasonably inexpensive and as such, have its expense offset by gains in mileage and performance which will lessen the cost of the fuel. Such an additive should provide a significant decrease in pollutants and dust in exhaust gases. Ideally, such an additive should save more in fuel and wear and tear over time, than the cost of the additive. Finally, such an additive should be easily mixed with fuel by normal users so as to allow widespread use.
Further while the prior art reveals numerous treatments for fuel, it does not disclose the unique combination of components to yield the component additive to hydrocarbon fuel herein, or teach their use in a synergistic combination for providing enhanced power extraction, lubricity, and concurrent pollutant reduction with engines employing such fuels.